The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-09
Tl1e Sunday School.
LESSON FOR JULY II, 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
JOHN THE BAPTIST.
Matthew iii. 1-12.l
The BAPTIZKR.
Matthew iii. 1-12.]

Dnrino the time when JESUS resided with
his narents in Nazareth C'in those days j,
INIT ahout thirty years after the events OF the
last Lesson, John the Baptist appeared as
preacher of reform in the wilderness OF du-
dea. a mountainous region east and soutn OF
Jarnsalem. and extending along the western
shore of the River Jordan and the Dead sea-
See map, He was a relative of JESUS tnelr
mothers being cousins or Etnsloon'eh' az
co-dino to the Revision, which follows the
taxt of the Oldest manuscript (Codex Sinai
ticus. see last Study.) THE degree OF Tue
relationship is not really indicated oy tne
original word rendered cousin III tne
Common version.] John was SIX months
older than JESUS. His parents were deVout
persons of the priestly tribe OF Levi his
father was a priest. He was the DiVineiy
nromised son of his parents in their OLD age,
IN whom IL was announced that from his
birth he should be consecrated 10 ooD anu
filled with the Holy Spirit, and becoming
prophet he should manifest the spirit anu
power of the prophet Elijah. he was Dorn
in answer to prayer, conditioned by the Sc
ware terms of most solemn vow. For the
vow of Nazarite see Numbers vi. I'll Inc
home of his parents was probably In the Lee
vitical CITY of Hebron, Z" in the hill country
of Judea." about twenty miles south OF De-
rusalem (Joshua xxi. IL; Luke l. 39), though
some think it was at Juttah, four mites Iur-
Their south, who read "Juttah" instead OF
Jndah TIorra instead of Iouool, from Luxe
!. 90. He was we'll connected socially, ana,
no doubt, we'll brought up, receiving inc
usual education provided for the priests, ana
by parents of devout and righteous character
and purpose. That ''the little child CREW.
and became strong in spirit, and was in the
deserts till the day of his appearance u
Israeli is all that is recorded OF his history
from infancy to his appearance as nllen'y
prophet of COP (see Luke y. Atter the
death of his parents, who were OLD wnen ne
was horn. John the Nazarite may have lived
the life of a hermit in the neighooring VIII
derness. where he exercised his prophetlc
Gifts and gained the title of The Baptizer,
becanse of bis strange custom of baptizing,
or immersing his disciples in the River 1or-
dan, upon a confession of their Sins ana an
ayowal of repentance, as sympoi Oh INC
moral and spiritual reformation wnlon No
preached. simple mantle OF camel s nair
cloth bound with girdle to his BODY was
his only clothing. His food was the naturai
products of the desert-the locusts (see Lee
viticus xi. 22) which leaped or flew on the
bare hills, and the honey of wild bees wmcn
he found in the trunks of trees and the cieIts
of the rocks.
"This is he," says the Evangelist, that is
spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying
"'A voice crying in the desert,
Prepare We the way OF the noro;
Make his highways strait
The primary reference of the passage
quoted Isaiah i. 81 is to JEHOVAH, whois rep
resented as about to bring back his people
through the eastern desert from their captiV-
ty in Babylon. The allusion OF the inquire Vi
the prophet is to the custom of Oriental mon-
archs when contemplating journey to seno
messengers in advance to announce 'helr
coming, and to prepare convenient roaos
over which they might travel. Moral ana
spiritual preparation is suggested. The bap-
tizer was regarded as typical fulhllment OF
this passage, not only by the Evangeilsts'
but by JESUS, and John himself. (See xl. y;
Mark i. 2; Luke iii. A; John i. 3D. The same
massage is quoted by Malachi and applied to
one who should come as areformer OF lsrael,
as did Elijah malachi iii. 1; iv. %. That
John the Baptist was the Elijah of Malachrs
prophecy was declared by JESUS and by the
angel that announced his birth Xxi. IA; Luke
IN